I will always love you Grampa
Neha comes to the park every evening holding her grandfather’s right hand. She loves the birds and the little puppy that chases them away. She giggles and claps loudly the moment the puppy starts chasing his own tail. Everybody loves and admires her. Some peck her cheeks and some pull them. She bears with the one who pecks her but she has no patience for the later lot. But, what can even the people do, she is a plump 3-year old toddler, with dimpled cheeks and speaks with a slight lisp. Simply lovable!
However, something is wrong today. Neha is not so happy, she didn’t even laugh at the puppy or the birds. She even tolerated with the uncle who pinched her cheeks hard. She just sat beside her grandfather on the bench, who was busy musing about his mundane life.
Suddenly Neha said, "Grampa, why didn’t you take me in your arms the first time you saw me?”
The question stumped grandfather completely. How did she know about that, must be his good-for-nothing daughter who visited yesterday, with her equally gossiping daughter.
Anyways, he has to answer Neha. So he simply said, “Oh! You were so small, I didn’t want to hurt you baby”.
He knew it was a complete lie. He was expecting a boy, someone who would take the lineage forward, not a girl. And when Neha was born, he was so dejected that he refused to even touch her.
He looked at Neha. She was staring at him, with hundreds of questions swarming in those dark black eyes. He just couldn’t look at her anymore.
After a few moments, Neha said, “I know grampa, how you were feeling, it’s the same as I felt when dad got me my Lucy and not a Barbie. I hated Lucy because I thought she was the reason why I didn’t get my Barbie. If Lucy didn’t exist, I would have gotten Barbie. But, when I got to know her, I started loving her so much that now she is my favorite doll. You must have felt the same grampa. But, now you know me and love me so much.”
Then looking straight into the teary eyes of her grandfather, she said in her little voice, “I will always love you grampa.”
However, something is wrong today. Neha is not so happy, she didn’t even laugh at the puppy or the birds. She even tolerated with the uncle who pinched her cheeks hard. She just sat beside her grandfather on the bench, who was busy musing about his mundane life.
Suddenly Neha said, "Grampa, why didn’t you take me in your arms the first time you saw me?”
The question stumped grandfather completely. How did she know about that, must be his good-for-nothing daughter who visited yesterday, with her equally gossiping daughter.
Anyways, he has to answer Neha. So he simply said, “Oh! You were so small, I didn’t want to hurt you baby”.
He knew it was a complete lie. He was expecting a boy, someone who would take the lineage forward, not a girl. And when Neha was born, he was so dejected that he refused to even touch her.
He looked at Neha. She was staring at him, with hundreds of questions swarming in those dark black eyes. He just couldn’t look at her anymore.
After a few moments, Neha said, “I know grampa, how you were feeling, it’s the same as I felt when dad got me my Lucy and not a Barbie. I hated Lucy because I thought she was the reason why I didn’t get my Barbie. If Lucy didn’t exist, I would have gotten Barbie. But, when I got to know her, I started loving her so much that now she is my favorite doll. You must have felt the same grampa. But, now you know me and love me so much.”
Then looking straight into the teary eyes of her grandfather, she said in her little voice, “I will always love you grampa.”
Comments
Post a Comment